Book indexes



O t- 1, 1969 H. F. LEADBETTER 3,473,827

BOOK INDEXES Filed Sept. 6, 1967 5421; 2 "I I7 .5 AMY I l 1% D S T} F IG 4.

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INVENTOR HORACE F. LEADB ETTER BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,473,827 BUUK lNDEXES Horace F. Leadbetter, 2567 St. Clair Ave. E., Toronto 16, Ontario, Canada Filed Sept. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 665,889 Int. Cl. B42f 21/00; G09f 3/00 US. Cl. 283-36 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An index device for book comprising a sheet one part of which is secured to the book and on which the desired index may be written. The other area defines a plurality of separable tabs which upon removal, are secured to the proper page indicated by the written index.

The invention relates to improvements in book indexes.

It has previously been the custom to divide a book into a number of sections or chapters and to list same either at the front or rear of the book under a heading such as Table of Contents, wherein brief descriptions of the matter contained in the individual chapters are noted. However, apart from such listings, no means has hitherto been provided whereby matter of a character of particular interest to an individual reader might be noted and so indexed as to be readily re-located for reference at a future time, such matter possibly consisting of a table, or a chart, or other matter of interest.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide an ancillary indexing means consisting of a part whereon notation may be made of subject matters of interest to a reader, and the page location thereof, for future reference and detachable index tab means attachable to the appropriate page in the book identified by a suitable index tab.

It is preferable that such ancillary indexing means be in the form of a single sheet of material coated on one side with a pressure sensitive adhesive and being so scored or otherwise formed as to provide a marginal part adapted to be permanently secured to the book, preferably inside the front cover, to contain reference to specific subject matter, and a plurality of readily detachable index tabs initially detachably attached to said marginal part only and not directly to the book, but readily detachable from the sheet and from contiguous tabs, for adhering attachment as an index tab to the page, or pages, relating to the noted subject matter.

A further important object of the invention is to utilize index systems as an advertising medium in telephone directories, magazines, and publications of all types.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an indexing device of such simplicity as to comprise but a single sheet of paper, or other suitable material, readily adaptable as or to a page of a publication and which may be distributed as a full, or part, page of the publication or may be distributed separately as an advertising medium to be attached to the publication by the recipient.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of separable tabs carrying indicia such as an alphabet and being adapted to provide areas on which may be inscribed trademarks, or symbols of advertisers, or others.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and arrangement of parts described and shown and more particularly pointed out in the claims for novelty following.

In describing the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an open book showing my combined index and reference sheet incorporated therewith, certain index tabs having been removed and attached to appropriate pages,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of an index sheet,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of one of the index tabs detached from the parent sheet,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary edge view of the index tab of FIGURE 3 attached to a book page,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing an index tab applied to a book page.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

My improved indexing means is comprised of a single sheet of material, indicated by the reference numeral 10, which may be of paper, plastic, or other thin, flexible, and strong material suitable for its intended purpose. These sheets are intended for insertion in books, magazines, directories, etc., and therefore may be made in different sizes according to the page areas of different publications.

The index sheet has a severance line of perforations 11 extending vertically thereof which serve to segregate a marginal part 12 of slightly more than one-third of the total width of the sheet and preferably runs the full depth of the sheet at the left side. This area 12 may have a part thereof devoted to advertising, such as the name of the advertiser supplying the index, and the remainder left free for the listing of items to be indexed for future reference together with a notation of the index character assigned to the page of the book on which the listed item, or items, are to be found.

The area between the vertical severance line of perforations 11 and the extreme right hand edge of the sheet is divided by means of a vertical line of perforations 13 positioned in the horizontal centre of said area, and a plurality of horizontally extending severance lines 14 crossing said vertical line 13 at equi-spaced intervals throughout the depth of the sheet, into a plurality of separable index tabs 15, of which two are endwise related in each of the horizontal rows. Each of the tabs of each horizontal row has a vertical fold mark 16 in its longitudinal centre whereon, after separation from the sheet for attachment to the appropriate page 17 of a book, it is folded over the edge of the page for engagement with opposite sides of the page and attachment thereto.

Each index tab, on at least one of its faces, is adapted to have inscribed thereon an index character 18, preferably located sufficiently near the top edge of the projecting portion of the tab so as to leave a space 19 therebelow sufiiciently large to allow the representation of a symbol, such as a trademark, positioned beyond the edge of the book and therefore readily visible.

The sheet 10 is preferably provided on its reverse side with a coating of a pressure sensitive adhesive over which, in order to prevent adhesive contact with other objects prior to application to a book, may be placed a separation sheet (not shown) having an adhesive repellant outer surface, which may be easily removed when not required.

In the use of this invention, an index sheet is placed in position on the page of the book to which it is to be applied with only the marginal part 12 adhesively applied to the page and the portion of the sheet comprising the separable index tabs unattached to the page, due to the presence of the adhesive repellant cover thereover, when the reader of a book comes upon a subject, or subjects, which he wishes to mark for quick re-location at a future time he simply makes note of same, and of the reference character on the first free index tab, on the margin 12, after which he disengages the said tab from the sheet and attaches it in position on the appropriate page of the book. In this manner, reference to the subject on the reference sheet will instantly reveal the page on which the wanted subject matter is to be found.

This invention offers special advantages to advertisers as Well as to users of publications such as telephone directories, in that the adhesively attached carrier for the index tabs provides permanent advertising space, while the index tabs also provide means for trademarks or other like matter to the users of the books.

While the invention has been described in a particular embodiment thereof and in a particular use, it should be understood that various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A book index comprised of a single sheet of suitable material, said sheet having a marginal area along one vertical edge adapted for permanent adhering attachment to the body of a page of a book, said sheet having a further area severably connected with said marginal area and adapted to overlie said page but being unattached thereto, said further area of said sheet being divided into thereon information pertaining to matter to be indexed for future reference and the index character assigned 10 the page where such matter is to be found.

3. A book index as defined in claim 1, wherein said index tabs are of rectangular shape and are provided with transverse fold lines intermediate of their length.

4. A book index as defined in claim 3, wherein said index tabs have inscribed thereon index characters and are otherwise provided with blank areas for selected inscribed matter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 914,556 3/1909 Dennick 28336 1,284,981 11/1918 Ball 283-36 1,614,838 1/1927 Gorin 40-3 2,314,578 3/1943 Erb 283-42 FOREIGN PATENTS 278,909 10/ 1927 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner WENCESLAO I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 40---2 

